KANU chairman Gideon Moi has re-entered the political arena with the announcement that he will contest the vacant Baringo senatorial seat, marking a comeback after years of political quiet since his defeat in the 2022 general election.
For Moi, who served as Baringo senator from 2013 to 2022, the by-election represents both a personal attempt at redemption and a broader test of his party’s relevance in a county long associated with his family name.
His loss in 2022 to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate William Cheptumo, who secured almost twice as many votes, was seen as a devastating blow to both Moi’s standing and KANU’s influence in the Rift Valley.
In the aftermath, Moi receded from the political frontline, appearing absent in county and national debates, while his party’s once dominant role steadily eroded under the weight of UDA’s growing presence in the region.
The current contest was triggered by the death of Senator Cheptumo in February 2025, a development that reopened the political space in Baringo.
UDA has already lined up a strong candidate in Vincent Chemitei, who won the party’s nomination decisively. Chemitei, backed by the ruling party’s grassroots machinery, is viewed as the frontrunner, buoyed by the momentum that has kept UDA entrenched in Rift Valley politics.
Other candidates who had vied in the primaries, including Wycliffe Tobole and Daniel Kiptoo, demonstrated there is competition within UDA but fell short in their bids, leaving Chemitei as the face of the party in the by-election. Meanwhile, youthful aspirants such as Sylas Tochim, Reuben Chepsongol, Evans Mundulel, Isaiah Kirukmet and Linus Kamket have also joined the race, promising to inject fresh energy and new priorities into a contest traditionally dominated by older political figures. Their platforms centre on youth empowerment, peace-building, security and local development, signalling a generational shift in the county’s politics.
For Moi, the challenge is formidable. Beyond having to resuscitate KANU’s dwindling fortunes, he faces the perception of being a poor political mobiliser—an image that has long shadowed his career despite his family’s powerful legacy. Unlike his late father, former President Daniel arap Moi, Gideon has often struggled to connect with grassroots voters and build enduring networks of loyal operatives, weaknesses that proved costly in his 2022 defeat. Compounding this is his cautious, silent opposition to President William Ruto, a stance that risks alienating him further in a region that has overwhelmingly aligned itself with the government. In a county where pro-government sentiment runs deep, Moi’s reluctance to embrace the Ruto administration could be read as political isolation rather than independence.
On the ground, the race has stirred mixed reactions. “We respect the Moi family, but politics has moved on,” said Paul Chepkwony, a shopkeeper in Kabarnet town. “People here want to be close to government, and UDA is the government now.” Others expressed a degree of nostalgia. “Gideon is quiet but he brought us development when he was senator,” noted Sarah Jemutai, a retired teacher in Eldama Ravine. “Maybe he deserves another chance.”
Younger voters, however, were more sceptical. “We need new leaders who understand our struggles,” said 26-year-old boda boda rider Daniel Kipruto. “Moi has the name, but does he have the energy to fight for us?”
For Gideon, the stakes are high. A win for him would not only restore his personal relevance but also breathe life into KANU, offering the party a chance to rebuild its voice in Rift Valley and to counter the perception that it is fading into irrelevance. It would demonstrate that the Moi family name still carries political weight and that nostalgia for an earlier political era can translate into electoral power.
Conversely, another defeat would confirm the diminishing value of that legacy, deepen the crisis within KANU, and cement UDA’s dominance.
The Baringo race, therefore, is more than a local by-election. It is a referendum on the survival of KANU, a test of whether personality and family legacy can withstand the strength of ruling party machinery, and a signal of the broader political currents that will shape Kenya as the 2027 general election approaches. Gideon Moi’s return ensures that the contest will be closely watched, not only for its county-level implications but for what it reveals about shifting loyalties and the possibility of political revival in a landscape increasingly defined by UDA’s supremacy.
